Bladen County Sheriff Jim McVicker’s campaign has been subpoenaed, the State Board of Elections said Friday in a news release.

The action comes amid a major investigation into what the board calls “voting irregularities and other alleged activities in the 9th Congressional District.” The probe has brought the national spotlight to Bladenboro while the election of a U.S. Congressman has been held up.

Congress is set to convene Jan. 3, but Republican Mark Harris’ victory over Democrat Dan McCready in the 9th District has yet to be certified by the State Board of Elections. That certification has also held up the validation of a county commissioner, Russell Priest, and the Soil and Water Conservation District supervisor, Earl Storms.

The probe is centered around Bladenboro’s McCrae Dowless, named in the release as “a person of interest” connected to an alleged absentee ballot operation in the district.

An evidentiary hearing is to be scheduled on or before Dec. 21, the release said. It could order a new election when it meets.

The sheriff’s campaign is connected to Dowless, having paid the twice-convicted felon $8,800 in six payments between Sept. 28, 2017, and Sept. 21, 2018, campaign finance records show. All are marked “Get Out To Vote.” In all, the campaign has paid $22,550 for such expenditures, with two of the three entities — Dowless and Red Dome Group — named as part of the investigation.

Harris’ campaign and Red Dome Group have also been subpoenaed, the release said.

Neither McVicker, Dowless, Harris or Red Dome Group have been accused of wrongdoing by the state board.

Investigators are scrutinizing mail-in ballot requests and ballot envelopes. A political practice in which workers are paid to get people to vote by mail “became more visible” with the change in a 2013 law.

Collecting requests is lawful and done by both major parties. Dowless is listed as one of the top collectors of absentee ballot requests turned in to the Bladen County elections office.

Some affidavits suggest voters received absentee ballot applications they never requested or were met by workers at their homes who took ballots that were either not completed or not placed in a sealed envelope. That would be illegal.

For McVicker, it’s the second time in two months he’s come under an unwelcome spotlight. In October, less than four weeks before Election Day, a county resident brought to light — more than a year after the fact — his hiring of a family member in violation of a state ordinance.

Such a hire has to be approved by the county commissioners. The commissioners were made aware late in the afternoon on a Friday, and the following Monday the sheriff went before them asking for the hire to be approved. The board, voting 5-4 along party lines, gave its consent.

Dowless, referred to as a veteran political operative since the fraud allegations surfaced, has been in an unwelcome spotlight before as well. Two years ago, he filed a complaint of absentee-ballot fraud by an opponent for his seat on the Bladen County Soil and Water Conservation Board, and two voters named him in similar complaints.

The state board said Friday it’s been investigating since that time.

Dowless’ felony convictions were in 1995 for fraud and 1992 for perjury. He served six months in prison for trying to forge a dead man’s signature on a life insurance policy with a date days before his death.

The state board says four investigators with law enforcement experience are working full-time on the case. Joan Fleming is the chief investigator, having specialized in fraud probes during a 26-year career with the FBI.

Harris won the seat held by Republican Robert Pittenger by 905 votes and McCready at first offered a concession; he has since withdrawn it, awaiting the outcome of the investigation. Pittenger, beaten by Harris in the primary, has said he was offered a chance to utilize Dowless’ services in getting people out to vote and declined.

Red Dome Group bills itself as a political campaign strategy company. McVicker’s campaign paid Red Dome $8,000 in three payments and Dowless $5,800 in three payments this calendar year, campaign finance records show. All are noted “Get Out To Vote.”

McVicker’s campaign has one other expenditure this calendar year for “Get Out To Vote,” two payments totaling $5,750 paid to James Singletary. The state board’s release did not name Singletary.

In 2017, campaign records show McVicker’s campaign paid Dowless $3,000 in three payments during the fall, all noted “Get Out To Vote.”

McVicker won this year by a margin more than twice that of the last two sheriff’s races combined. His winning margin of 1,388 votes included only a 429-385 edge in absentee votes.

Harris released a video statement addressing the fraud allegations after his campaign acknowledged in a federal filing that it owes $34,310 to Red Dome for work in Bladen County.

“If this investigation finds proof of illegal activity — on either side — to such a level that it could have changed the outcome of the election, then I would wholeheartedly support a new election to ensure all voters have confidence in the results,” Harris said in the video.

He also said his campaign is cooperating with the investigation by the state board, but added: “I was absolutely unaware of any wrongdoing.”

A Federal Election Commission filing by the Harris campaign late Thursday referred to money owed to Red Dome for debts including: “Reimbursement Payment for Bladen Absentee, Early Voting Poll Workers; Reimbursement Door to Door.”

The FEC report also lists two other debts totaling nearly $20,000 to Red Dome for digital advertising, robocalls and mailings for Harris. The filing says those mailings were in Robeson County, another area where the state board has sought information as part of its probe. The details were part of a wide-ranging post-election report on the campaign’s finances.

McCready also released a video, saying Harris should explain what he knows.

“He hired a criminal who was under investigation for ballot fraud to do his absentee ballot work, and it looks like he got what he paid for,” McCready told CNN on Friday.

Jim McVicker
https://www.bladenjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/web1_McVicker.jpgJim McVicker

McCrae Dowless
https://www.bladenjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/web1_Dowless.jpgMcCrae Dowless

https://www.bladenjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/web1_vote-2.jpg
Election fraud investigation centers on McCrae Dowless, absentee ballots

Alan Wooten

Bladen Journal

Alan Wooten can be reached at 910-247-9132 or awooten@bladenjournal.com. Twitter: @alanwooten19.